Related

Restaurant success begins with tasty food. Be ready to answer that oft-heard question: “What’s your specialty?” and select a name that lives up to it. Your restaurant’s specialty and name establish atmosphere, leading to an overall concept that appeals to customers and opens avenues to financing. A winning specialty-name combo directs investments, cost control, equipment, staffing, marketing strategy and a host of other elements absolutely crucial to a profitable venture.

Cuisine Choice

Your specialty is determined by the food your serve. It should be flavorful and fit the skill level of staff so that it can be consistently prepared. Ingredients should be readily available at a reasonable price through reliable suppliers. Test recipes. Calculate prep costs to determine a profitable price point. A unique culinary imprint needn’t be confined to a few signature dishes. Your specialty can be an overall method of food preparation, such as menu items using local, seasonal ingredients or the freshest seafood in town. Consider a unique spin on a traditional idea or a fusion of different styles – 2013’s Asian-American comfort food trend accents both. Researching retro specialties from fondue to Tex-Mex lends historical perspective. Review current appetites and future forecasts to devise a specialty that customers crave.

Food Traps

A killer meatball recipe, secret spices and mom's assurance that you make the best pizza on Earth isn’t enough. Check market saturation. Your corner of the world may not need another Friday night fish fry or slider bar, unless you can figure out a way to do it differently. Honor truth-in-menu standards of quality; loyal customers will spread valuable word-of-mouth advertising if they can depend on receiving the same delicious food and pleasurable experience every time they dine with you.

A300 mobile placeholder

Nailing the Name

Your name is the frame for your restaurant concept, providing identity and image that drives customer traffic and increases sales. The right name becomes your brand, expressed in every area of operations from the logo and menu to uniforms and dining room décor. It reflects the food, service and atmosphere that set you apart from competitors. Restaurant names can be based on type of food served, geography, ethnicity, history, atmosphere or something personally inspiring to the owner, from her grandmother to a favorite song. Some restaurants add more definition by including “grill,” “café,” “steakhouse” or other style identifiers.

Naming No-nos

Choose an easy-to-spell and pronounce name that sounds as attractive as it looks. A restaurant named “Taste of Greece,” for example, is too open to interpretation to assure a favorable impression. Don’t confuse customers by calling your Chinese restaurant Carmelita’s. Avoid trademarked names that can cause legal snags, even if you’re a Wendy or your restaurant is located on Outback Lane. An Internet search is useful for finding out what types of businesses are operating under similar or identical names. Ask yourself how popping up alongside them in search engines will affect how customers perceive your business.

Before You Finalize

Have fun choosing a memorable moniker. Comic names like Squid Lips or Henry’s Never Inn conjure smiles, but keep your customers in mind. There's a fine line between funny and poor taste. Run your name nominees by several other objective sources before making a final decision. Proofread before you commit to signs and logos to ensure proper spelling and legible presentation.

References

Photo Credits

Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images

About the Author

Cyndi Perkins is an award-winning newspaper editor, columnist and reporter. Beginning her career in the 1980s, she has covered business, gardening, health, fitness, travel and parenting for international, national and regional publications ranging from "Upper Peninsula Business Today" to "Cruising World Magazine."